Safety drilling-in head



Sept 16, 1941- F. Jv. SPANG ET AL 2,255,829

SAFETY DRrLmwcf-IN HEAD Filed June 20. 1959 3 sheets-sheet 1 Illlllll .5 79 ,en 70 3 .5lN al Q IIIIII F'Q 9; 51 59 57 y lNvgN'roR's y 36 53j@ wm 5"* www' Sept.16,1941. f EJ. SPAN@ ET-AL A, 2,255,829'

' SAFETY DRILLING-IN HEAD Filed June 20, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 (7139 v y l E3 i 'l Y v 106 f 119 109 109 f* llgb C) Wwf;

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Sept. 16., 1941. F. .1. sPANG lET AL l 2,255,829

SAFETY DRILLING-IN HEAD Filed June 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 05H5 H4, M4] j 03 110 Patented Sept, l@

SAFETY DRILLING-IN HEAD Ferdinand J. Spang, Butler, Pa., and Ray B. Anderson, Charleston, W. Va.

Appueauon June 2o, 1939, serial 10.280.690

(ci. 16s- 15) 14 Claims.

.This invention relates to the drilling of oil and gas wells by the cable tool method and for its broad object the production of an improved safety drilling-in head by means of which the flow of oil and gas from a well during drilling can be kept under control and diverted from the working areas.

In drilling oil and gas wells by the cable tool method, a string of casing is set in the hole that has been previously drilled. A string of cable tools consisting of 'a drilling bit, sinker bar, jar and rope socket suspended from the end of a drilling cable is lowered into the casing and vertically reciprocated by means of a walking beam, the outer or free end of which is located above the upper end of the casing. Drilling continues until oil or gas is encountered in sufficient quantity.

When oil or gas is encountered in vsuilicient quantity it flows upward and out of the upper end of the casing; sometimes to a considerable height. This flow entails great danger from ilre or explosion, and, in order to eliminate this danger, it is the practice to equip the upper or open end of the casing with a casing head and to attach to this a so-called oil and gas saver. oil and gas savers in general are provided with a central aperture for the drilling cable. This aperture is surrounded by packing through which the drilling cable moves. By this means an attempt is made to prevent leakage of oil and gas around the drilling cable.

With these prior devices when it is necessary to withdraw the string of drilling tools from the hole, the oil saver must first be disconnected from the casing head and this in itself is a dangerous operation due to the fact that the Aoil and considerable velocity. Even after the device is disconnected from the casing head, it still re' mains on the drilling cable.

Some oil and gas savers have been devised which are automatically disconnected from the casing head but these are all more orless complicated and all have the main disadvantage o'f the older type in that they also remain on the drilling cable when disconnected from the casing head.

After the oil or gas saver has been disconnected from the casing head (either automatically or manually) the string of tools is withdrawn from the hole and during this procedure the oil and/or gas passes freely into the work area and is likely to cause considerable danger Such or explosion and of course is detrimental to the health of the workmen. g

' Whilel as stated above, various devices which attempt to overcome this difficulty have been devised and a number have been patented, none have proved entirely satisfactoryand another object of this invention is to produce a device for packing a drilling cabley and whichis so constructed as to open automatically to permit a string of drilling tools to freely passtherel through. g

A still further object is to produce a drilling cable packing device which is adapted to be opened by upward movement of the rope socket and which when so opened, allows :ree passage therethrough 'of the rope socket and drilling tools.

A further object of this invention is to produce an oil and gas saver which without being disconnected from the casing head will open automatically and permit the passage of a string o! drilling tools therethrough. Y y,

A further object is to produce a packing device for a drilling cable that may be so adjusted from time to time as to compensate for wear occasioned by the drilling cable.

A still further object is to produce a safety drilling-in head having in its make-up cable guide spools or rollersl and 'means for varying the spacing of such spools or rollers to accommodate drilling cables oi different sizes. l

Another object is to produce an orgahize'd'apparatus comprising a safety drilling-in head Whichin its make-up includes a'drillingv cable ,packing means which is opened automatically to allowifpassage therethrough of the stringof drilling tools; packing means for the string of drilling vtools which prevents upflow of oil and gas when said tools are passing therethrough, means for shutting off the iiow oioil orgas when the string or tools has cleared its packing means and means for diverting the oil and gas from the working areas. A

A still further object is to produce a safety drilling-in head which in its make-up includes a. drilling cable packer which is adapted to be opened automatically to permit the free passage therethrough of drilling tools; a packer for such -drilling tools which functions while the cable tool packer is open; a shut-off gate valve which can be closed prior to the time the vdrilling-in string from flic the ow oi oil and gas. from the working areas i when.v the same lisclosed. v

These andoth'er objects whichrwill'readlly' ape when the drilling cable'packerisfopenasfwellzas.

-pear to-thoseskill'edafin this-'particular-art, we l Y attain by-means of'thea-safety.drillinginfheadv -descr'ibedf. in fthe specicationf and illustrated. in'- the drawings accompanying: and formingxpart-off this application and'in which;l

` Figure 1 =is"a viewin'v sectionalaelevation cfa l safety drilling-in head:embodyingi'thisfinventiom g In` this view; vrthe cable packing means orfdevice 1 is shown4 1in: closed' positionzfandy Ithe single disk.; shut-oil?y gate valve -is also shownin;.closed1 posi,-A

} tion.

j-open position; parts being'shown'in section and.

. parts. inv elevation.

Fig. 3 isv a perspective yview bfllthecable Dack-r img device, and-pinftmsview one-heifer. niedevice isshownk inclosedf pqsitionfawithqth'e other ihalf in-open position; r

Fig. 4-is a-detailview of one ofthe hinged porlflexible annular'l members entering into the imake-up Vci.' they drilling .tool packing portion of. 30

the safety drilling-in head; y Fig. 'I is aperspective vewoffthe flexible nularmembervwhich'serves to seal the water courses of: the drilling bit as well as other ir- `n'egular ysurfaces'pf the'r'drilling-in tools constituting-the's'tringf vshutfoff gate valve and the meansA for raising Y andfromits seat;

Fig f 92.15' :a detail sectional viewaof the valve disk .and'its seat:

`oif theroller 'or spooly mounting pins:l and i Fig., ll'isan endviewr-offsuchi pin looking towardtherightof-Eig.:l0.

l The safety drilling-in: head` of this invention las disclosed herein and* particularly in. Figure 1 cf/thedrawings comprisesa diversionachamber, a I `shut-oil gate valve,4 a packing device for the string of drilling toolsand a packingl device for the drilling cable. The diversion chamber isindicated by A; Vthe shut-011 gate valve assembly by B'; the 'packing'devicelfor thestringof drilling `tools by'C andthe packingdevice'for thel drilling cable'fby D. The drilling-in head is'adap'ted'to be attached to the 4top ofthe master gate which. is mounted on the-upper endof. thecasing head. vThe diversion ch'amber20'is provided with la. bottom opening 2| surrounded by Ya flange 22'by means of which the device is attached to thevr top. of. the master gate. The diversion chamber'is'preferablyprcvided lwith one or more side openings 23 (one only'being shown) whichare threaded to receive ilow pipes for leading the oil and gas away from the drilling rig.f"Ch`am`ber at.its top is provided withan outwardly extending annular flange 24.

A housing having a bottom member or floor portiony 25andsa .top member'or portion 26- andk which is adapted to house'arv sliding .gate valve member or disk 21, is secured to Athe'top of the diversion; chamber by means ofanannular retaining member 23 which underlies annular.

Fig.l 2`.is a view 'of the cable.'packingzideviceiin Fig.l 8"is-a perspective view-.of vthevsingle disk;

andf lowering ,the .valve assit-'is' moved toward` Flg-.zlOf-isfa longitudinalsectionalf view of one casacca rounds valve seat member 3|.

The inner peripheral surface oi the diversion `chamberadjacent its top is cut away, as best shown in Figure 9, to provide an annular shoulder 34which serves as a support for the valve seat assembly. An annular member 35 which restszonesaid shoulder serves as a support for a flexible ring 36 preferably molded from lsoft rubber-' Located between the top of ring 36 and the bottom face of valve seat member 3| is an annular metallic member 31 similar to member 35.- Annular member 35 is provided with an upstanding annular ridge 38 and member 31 with ardownwardly extending annular ridge 39. These ridges as disclosed in Fig. 9 press into exible ring 36 and hold the same in place. Valveseat member 3| has'itsrouter surface grooved as at 40 to receive an annular rubber ring-like member 4|.' Member 4| extends outwardly beyond the outer peripheral surface of member 3|, and the upper surface of bottom member 25 of the valve housing is providedwith a slight annular groove 42 within which the protruding portion of ring fFrom the foregoing, it will be seen that valve seat member 3| is yieldingly held in its normal or upper position in contact with'the'under face of -bottom member 25 of the valve 'housing by flexible member Y36 and because of said member 36 is permitted to yield downwardly. Flexible i rubberring 4| serves as a seal between the outer surface'of member 3| and bottom member 25, of

y this valve housing.

AThe top or roof member' 26 of the valve housing is providedwith a circular opening 43 in axial alignment with the circular opening defined by the -valve seat 30 and with opening 2| in the bottom of the-diversion chamber.

The lower'face of valve member 21, as bestv A shown in Fig. 9, is flat so as to contact evenly with its seat 30. The upper surface of the valve .member from a point 44 adjacent its end 45 tapers gradually to a point 46 adjacent its opposite end 41; Valve member 2'1 on opposite sides and extending. inwardly from its side edges has its upper surface cut away to provide side portions 48 which-are flat and which parallel the bottom surface of the valve; intermediate portions 49 which are relatively longer than portions 48 and which `-taper gradually from yportions 48v to end portions 50 which proceed to edge 41 on a much steeper slope than. portions 49.

Valve member or disk 21 is operated by a stem 5|, one endr of which is secured to the valve memvber by a suitable interlocking connection 52.

`Valve stem 5| projects outwardly beyond the valve housing or chamber through a suitable stuiilng box 53.

Each side member 54 of the valve housing or chamber is provided with an inwardly extending Y bottom flange 55 vwhich throughout the major portion of its length has an upper surface 56 which parallels the upper surface of the floor or bottom member 25 of the valve housing as well `as the plane defined by valve seat 30. The end bof flange 55 adjacent the valve seat tapers-down- Lwardly toward the valve seat as shown at 51 so vided with a that the upper surface of this tapered portion at its end 58 is located slightly below the plane defined by the valve seat. Flanges located as they are on opposite sides of the valve housing form support slides vor rails upon which valve member 21 rests, when in open position, and upon which it slides toward and from closed position. From this constructiomit will be seen that assoon as the valve member or disk 21 is moved toward open position or in other Words, away from its seat, it rides up incline 51 and is raised from its seat.

In order to insure close contact between the lower face of the valve disk 21 and its seat 30, each side member 54 of the valve housing on opposite sides of the valve seat is provided with an inwardly extending flange portion 59 which at its inner end overlaps end 58 of inclined portion 51 ofthe support rails or slides 55. The under face 6I of each of the flanges 59 is inclined downwardly from end 68 to a point immediately adjacent end 62 of the valve housing. These inclined faces 6| cooperate with surfaces 48, 49 and 58 on the sides of valve member 21 in forcing the valve into firm contact with its seat to prevent the upward flow 'of gas and oil after the drilling string has been pulled above this point. l

The valve member or disk is moved to and from closed position by means of a lever 53 pivoted at 64 to a channel member -which is bolted to the 'derrick floor 66. Lever 63 at its upper end is proeight member 61 and at its lower end, which extends through a slot in the derrick floor, it is connected to the outer end of valve stem 5I through a. suitable connecting rod 68,

yokes 69 and'a beam or lever'10. The lower end 1I of beam or lever 18, by means of a rod 12, is connected at 13A-to a fulcrum bracket 14 which is secured to and depends from the valve housing.A

Member 61 is of such weight as to hold lever 63 in the position to which it is moved manually, `iegardless of vibrations that might otherwise cause extend from said opening to withina short dis- .A tance of its tubular rim 83, thus forming a. numf bolted to top flange 11 of said housing itto shift its position. When the valve 'is moved to 'closed position, weight 61 will hold'it in elo ed position and when the lever is shifted to open the valve.' the valve will be held in open position until it is shifted by means of lever 63. y

The drilling-in tool packing device C is contained within a tubular housing member 15 and comprises an annular water course .sealing disk f and a series of flexible annular disks serving as pressure reducing media and sealing disks for the drilling tools. Tubular housing 15 is provided with an outwardly extending annular bottom flange 16 and an outwardly extending top flange 11. A retaining ring 18 which bears on the top of bottom flange 16 and is secured in place by an annular series of bolts 19 rigidly holds housing 15 in axial alignment with openings 2l and 43.

The annular water course sealing disk, shown in perspective in Fig. '1 and numbered 88. is

formed of soft pliable rubber and is supported in position above and spaced from opening 43 in the roof of the valve housing by means,y of a tubular,

colv

ber of generally triangularly shaped pliable segments. Both upper and lower surfaces of these pli-able segments taper from the outer solid portion of the disk portion indicated at to its inner edge. These tapered flexible segments are easily stretched and deformed in an amount sufficient to permit passage of the drilling tools, and, because of the slitted construction, form a seal for the irregular portions of the drilling tools, especially .those of the drilling jars and the water courses of the drilling bit.

Located above the water course sealing disk four other flexible sealing disks which are numbered 86, 81, 88 and 89. Disk 86 is spaced from and supported by a tubular member 98 and l disks 81, 88 and 89 are spaced apart and supported by tubular members 9|, 92r and 93. Disk 89 is held in place against the top of tubular support 93 and the requisite pressure for securely clamping this as well as disk 88 in place is se cured by means of a tubular member 94 which is forced into position by an annular member 95 which forms the top of housing 15 and which is by a series of bolts 96. l l

Each of the disks 85, 86, 81 and 88 is provided with a peripheral edge flange similar to that of the water course sealing disk 88 and each is also molded from soft pliable rubber. Each of these disks is provided with a central aperture 91 which permits free passage therethrough of the drilling cable during its reciprocations. From `this central 'aperture -to its peripheral flange portion, each disk gradually increases in thickness andI the under side of each disk is provided with a" series of concentric grooves 98 as best shown in Fig. 6.

The texture of Vthe rubber used in making these disks is such'as to give to them sufficient strength to resista considerable degree of deformation from 'the pressure of the oil and gas vagainst them. The central apertures 91 are preferably all of the same size and are such as to` permit the drilling string to be pulled therethrough without undue effort. At the same time; they are small enough to make tight contactwith the drilling string to prevent the escape of oil and gas past the same. v'There being/'a number y of these disks (the number may be y,yaried if desired) it will be apparent that each acts as a stage in they reduction of pressure, so ,that there is but a relatively small pressure differential between their opposite ysides and such pressure differential is not sufficient to#y break theeontact between the disk and the drilling string a s it, passes therethrough. y

The spacingof these disks is suflicie t to pre1 being pulled therethrough. For this reason,y the and interfere with the normal passage therei y through of the' drilling string., i f

low the disk proper and forms a tubular rim J therefor. 'I'he disk at its center is provided with a relatively small circular aperture or through opening 84 and is slit along radial lines which 75 ing device.`l v,

The concentric grooves in ltheir under faces add to the multi-stage sealing effect' of packing disk is formedwith/.m device C during the period when the drilling.'

string is being pulled therethrough; the disks at f that time being flexed upwardly with their under surfaces invcontact with the drillingtools. 'The spaced disks serve as an effective labyrinth packvent them from contacting with one nother as f they are deformed by the drilling s ing while" The packing deviceD for the drilling cable and which functions as an oil and gas saver is carried by annular member 95 which besides serving as the top of housing '|5, serves as the supporting base for packing device D. The housing of packing device D is bilaterally symmetrical and lengi..

tudinally separable into two parts 99-99. These parts are carried on parallel hinge pins |-|00 which'in turn are carried by mounting lugs |0| which project upwardly from base member 95.

The housing is' provided with a central packing chamber having side walls |02-I02 which in the main are parallel, and with aligned top and bottom openings for the drilling cable which are respectively numbered |03 and |04. These open- ,ings are in axial alignment with the central openings in the tool string sealing disks and the l water course sealing disk. l A longitudinally separable, soft pliable rubber` packing element is located Within the packing chamber and each half thereof is numbered |05. This packing element is provided with a central circular cable channel |06 as well as a seriesvof transverse slots |01 as shown by full lines in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and as indicated by dotted lines i in Figure 5. The width of these transverse slots substantially equals the diameter of channel |06 and they d o not extend for the full width of the packing element thus leaving the meeting edges of the halves unslotted. The depth of these slots, however, as will be seen, is greater than their width. Followers |08|08 for packing element i halves |-|05 are movable to and held in adjusted position within vthe packing chamber by means of adjustment screws |09|09 which are threaded through end members 0| 0 of the packing chamber. Each of these end members is secured in place by an upper bolt and a lower bolt H2. l

The side walls |02|02 of the packing chamber in the main are parallel but from points |-|3 the distance'between such walls gradually decreases to points H4, and from this point to the From this construction, it will be apparent 1 that the longitudinally separable flexible packing can be adjusted for wear occasioned by the l drilling cable by forcing the same inwardly to-A 1 ward the drilling cable. i convergence of the walls causes the circular 3 central channel |06 to clse in to compensate `for such wear.A

When this is done, the

Eachv housing half 99 is provided with a pair These` arms are so formedl The outerv ends of bars or rods ||6 are connected Aby, heavy tension springs ||1.

Each arnr||5 is provided with an operating bar socket ||6 so that by placing an operating bar in either socket of one of said arms and then pulling outwardly on said bar, that half of the l packing device having said arm in its make-up can be rotated about its hinge pin |00.

From the position of rods ||6 with relation to hinge pins |00, it will be apparent that if either Ihalf of the oil and gas saver or packing device D 75 longitudinal joint between the halves of the i g packing chamber the distance between said walls more or less abruptly decreases as shown in Fig. 5.

is swung outwardly about its hinge pin, the tension of springs ||1 will reach their maximum when its rod IIS, its hinge pin and the opposite rod or bar ||6 are in line. As soon as rod or bar ||6 passes below said line, the tension springs serve to pull such half to fully open position. The other half of the oil and gas saver housing will be pulled to open position by said springs when it is moved but a slight distance from closed position.

It Will be apparent that it is easier to open one half of the oil and gas saver D at a time, but it will also be apparent that it is possible to manually open both halves simultaneously. When both halves are opened simultaneously as is done when opened automatically, the springs will be stressed to their maximum when both rods or bars ||6 are in line with both hinge pins |00. When it is desired to close the device, the operation is reversed. The halves may be closed one at a time` or simultaneously.

It will be noted that the spring arrangement and the location of bars or rods ||6 with relation to the hinge pins |00 issuch as to permit either or both halves to be in open or closed position and that when in such position they are under spring tension sufficient to hold them in such position; the springs being of sutlicient strength so that considerable force is required to move the halves from either closed or open position.

y The longitudinally separable housing for the oil and gas saver portion of the device is provided with a lower portion ||9 which is provided with eyes ||9a which embrace the hinge pin and with an annular bottom ange 20 which when the device is closed as in Figure 1, seats against the upper face of an upstanding flange |2| formed.

on base vmember 95. 'I'he upper face of flange |2| is provided with an annular groove within which a rubber sealing ring |22 is secured and -which seals the joint between the lower face of ange |20 and the upper face of flange |2|.

The inner surface.A ||9b of member IIB is frusto-conical and the device being longitudinally separable, forms two actuating cams; one for each half of the housing whereby the cable socket as it is moved upward into contact therewith causes said halves to swing outwardly to open `Each of these spools or rollers, by means of f spaced anti-friction bearings |24|2I is mounted on an eccentric cylindrical portion |25 oi' a mounting pin |26. Each of these pins extends through openings formed for its reception in the sides of the housing halves 99-99. The head |21 of each pin carries a vlocking member |20 which projects inwardly toward the housing and is adapted to be inserted within one of a series of spaced holes |29 drilled in one side of housing half 99 and arranged concentrically with relation to pin |26. End |30 of the pin isv threaded to receive a nut 3| by means of which the pin is locked in adjusted position.

Operation In operating the safety drilling-in head of the oil and gas saver or packing device D for the drilling cable is opened. The drilling string is then lowered into the device until the drilling bit ycomes toa point slightly above valve disk 21. Operating lever 63 is then thrown so as to open the shut-off valve. The drilling string is then lowered until the rope socket is within the sealing device C for the drilling tools. One half of the oil and gas saver D is then closed and the drilling cable shifted to proper position with relation to roller |23 on the closed half of t'he oil and gas saver. After this, the other half of the oil and gas saver D is closed and the tools are lowered to the bottom of the hole.

It will be noted that during the time any part of the drilling string is within the drilling string sealing device C, pressure reduction sealing disks 85, 88, 81, 88 and 89 prevent the upward leakage of oil or gas around the string of tools, and, after the rope socket has been lowered into sealing device C and the oil and gas saver. has been closed, leakage of oil and gas around the drilling cable or wire line during the drilling operation will be prevented.

I When the tools are ,being withdrawn from the hole and the rope socket is drawn upwardly while in contact with the longitudinally separable frusto-conical inner surface Ilb of' member H9, both halves of the oil and gas saver D will be swung outwardly about their hinge pins until spring support bars H6 pass below said hinge pins, at which time springs IH will cause said halves to fully open. It will be seen that opening of the oil and gas saver is accomplished automatically and while the oil and gas saverI remains closed until lifted by the rope socket,

" opening of the same is accomplished at the `proper instant. As soon as the drilling bit is raised above valve disk 21, operating lever Si can be swung to position to clo'se the valve. After the valve is closed, the tools canbe pulled out of the safety drilling-in head.

Fromv the above, it will be noted that by means of this safety drilling-in head, the flow of oil and gas is always under control and is at all times diverted from the working areas.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to vsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an oil and gas saver, a housing which is longitudinally separable into two parts and is provided with a packing chamber having aligned end openings, a longitudinally separable packing within said chamber, a support to which said housing parts are hinged, means yieldingly resisting the movement of said housing parts to open position when said housing is closed and to closed position when said housing is open, and drilling cable socket operated means for swinging the housing parts to open position.

2. In a drilling cable packing device, a longitudinally separable housing, a longitudinally separable packing within said housing, a support for said housing and to which its separable parts are independently hinged, and spring means yieldingly resisting the separation of said housspring support arms extending outwardly' in opposite directions from said housing, spring means connecting said arms above said hinge connections .and cam means located on each housing part below said hinge connections.

4. In a drilling cable packing device, a longitudinally separable housing, a packing chamber within said housing and having aligned end openings, a flexible packing element within said packing chamber and which is separable along the axis of said end openings, a plurality of guide ing outwardly from opposite sides of said hous- .ing and spring means connecting said arms above the hinge connections between the housing sections and said support.

5. In a safety drilling-in head, a diversion chamber, -a shut-off .gate valve above said diversion chamber, a series of pliable drilling tool sealing disks arranged in'axial alignment above said shut-off valve; one of said disks being radially slit into multiple sections and a longitudinally separable drilling cable packing abovesaid drilling tool sealing disks and withits separable parts mounted for swinging movement beyond the path of travel of drilling tools traversing the device.

6. In a drilling cable packing device, `a pair of pliable packing elements provided with longitudinal grooves which together form a substantially cylindrical passage for a drilling cable, a housing for said elements, provided with longitudinally separable side walls which in the main are parallel but which converge adjacent their meeting edges, followers for said packing elements located between said side walls and means for moving said followers toward one another whereby the free edges of said packing elements are forced inwardly by said converging side wall portions.

7. In a safetydrilling-in head for use in drllling in oil 'and gas wells with cable tools, a diversion chamber provided with at least one side outlet, a shut-off gate valve above said chamber, means above said valve and which in cooperation with cable tools forms a labyrinth seal, and a longitudinally separable drilling cable packing above said means and beinglso mounted that its parts can be swung to open'position by the cable socket.

8. In a safety drilling-in head, a longitudinally separable drilling cable packing housing having aligned openings in its ends, a member to which longitudinally separable into two parts and which ing parts when the housing is closed and the is provided with a packing chamber h'aving aligned end openings, a longitudinally separable packing within said chamber, a support'to which said housing parts are hinged, arms extending outwardly from opposite sides of said housing, springs connecting said arms above the hinge points of the housing parts, rope socket operated means for swinging the housing parts to open position and drilling cable guide rollers carried by/said housing parts.A y Y 10. In an oil and gas saver, a housing. a packing chamber within said lhousing and which with said housing is longitudinally separable into two parts, a support to which said housing parts are hinged, a pair of arms extending outwardly from each housing part aspring support connecting the outer Vend of each' pair of arms, and spring means connecting said spring supports whereby said -housingp'arts arelfyeldingly .held in both closed and open positions. y i

' l1. lIn a shut-off valve device, a valve housing having aligned .oppositely positioned openings, an annular member forming-a value seat extending into said housing through .one of said openings and having an outwardly dextending flange whichv underliesthe housing around said opening, means located below said ange for -yieldingly support;- ing said annular member, a valve member within said housing and slidablektoward and from said seat, means for' raising said valve member from said seat during movement thereof in one direction and means for forcing said valve member toward said seat rduring movements thereof in the opposite direction.

12. In a safety drilling-in head, a plurality of relatively soft pliable annular disks arranged in axial alignment and inms'uperzpdsedfspaced relaabbasso tion. a sliding shut-oil' gate valve below the lowermost of said disks and a longitudinally separable drilling cable packing device above the topmost` ythe topmost disk of said series for holding :the

drilling cable vin axial alignment with the disks of said series. y

14. In a drilling cable packing device, a longil tudinally separable housing, a longitudinally separable packing within said housing, a series of relatively soft pliable annular disks arranged in axial alignment and in superposed relation below said separable packingvnnd a pair of laterally adjustable drilling .cable .guide rollers each carried by a part of 'said housing.

FERDINAND J. SPANG. BA1" B. ANDERSON. 

